so. it was already getting out. it wasn’t surprising. luckily, if anyone were ever to raid the downstairs with a warrant, or an undercover cop made it past security, they’d likely find nothing but stone walls and some illegally imported goods which roach could easily afford a lawyer to cover for. he’d lose a bit of money which he could then quickly replace. not much harm done.

really, it had only been a matter of time.

his head tilted to the side a little, curiously. willing to level, maybe, rather than play dumb like he would with most people in this situation.

”is that right?”

he took a sip, eyeing him over the rim of the glass for a long moment. matias was a silph. one of them owned a council seat, but this family was made of moneybags. roach didn’t believe that kind of wealth could be achieved without a little sin.

”go on.”

MATIAS SILPH

☉

roach used soap?

just kidding. of course he did. he used isle of armor spring—in the classic green bar form, which he handled expertly and did not drop because he had the grip of a hardy cowboy. he even used conditioner: bluebarbie. not like the rest of rocket's pungent 16-in-1ers.

he put his hands where instructed, quite happily. one hand on the hip, the other on the belly. his smile glowed radiantly like a volbeat’s ass in the dark.

moving with her body, he found her rhythm, and then, they were really dancing.

”like this?” he asked into her ear, but he could feel it.

they were doing it right.

@jessica

☉

”oh.” he neither apologized nor corrected himself. wasn’t that what he’d just said? baffling.

he smacked his hands together, swiping them back and forth to get the dirt off the best he could. surely, by now, he’d scared off all wild-life from within a far-reaching proximity.

”yeah, i guess yer right about that. i don’t mind comin’ out here ‘n buildin’ me a fire every now ‘n then; drinkin‘ some whiskey. it is peaceful.” he nodded, head tilting to the side and eyes squinting in an inspired realization. ”y’know, i don’t think enough appreciate it.”

at her question, he gestured towards the ground, looking down at his hopefully green-thumbed handiwork. ”plantin’ gracidea seeds. seein’ what happens.”

Katherine Fairburne

☉

her finger came up, soft against his jaw. his teeth flashed mischievously, glowing in the dark between the neon designs she’d painted.

”you know i do.”

he moved loosely in some generic rhythm, not much minding how he looked. he was wholly focused on her.

”show me.”

his eyes drifted lower.

@jessica

☉

“well good, thank ya. you just tell me if i ever sound crazy; ‘ll save me some money ‘n heartache.”

as she reached for the folder, he reached for another garlic knot, pealing it in half and feeding himself a bite. styles were soon splayed before his plate, and he was focused, intrigued, leaning closer over them to inspect.

he nodded, ”yeah, these are nice.”

but her suggestion? below ground-level, like ritual? he figured it'd only make it more tempting to link the businesses. he could already hear rocket's encouragement over his shoulder. it was the last thing he wanted to happen.

”let’s go with the skyscraper style.”

Rita Garnet

☉

it certainly wasn’t the answer or honesty he’d been expecting. he was bewildered and amused.

”well, shit. you don’t hold no punches, do ye? i guess it ain’t much of a tiki bar.” where slate had found the umbrellas was well beyond him. likely dug out from storage from prior ownership. their saving grace, apparently. slate was a goddamn magician.

roach grinned across the table, head lolling to the side.

”okay, okay. what’s it need, then? i’ll make him fix it.”

maeve

☉

roach stopped in his tracks, looking over in the direction of a voice. when his eyes located fortree’s gym leader, at first, he was unsure of what to say. he would not remark yet again about his own odd luck lately.

”is that right?”

glancing back down the way, and around at his environment briefly, he turned back again.

”what? this a weird place to run into folks?”

he looked down at the psyduck pail.

”got you one o' them gracidea plants, huh?”

Alexei Ivanov

☉

”right,” he agreed, ”exactly. you get it.” he raised his glass in approval before sipping.

more with it. roach’s smile curled with a gravelly chuckle. if only matias knew what was just a few meters below him. one day soon enough, he figured, everybody would. this life wouldn’t last forever, nor would ritual’s secrets. a reckoning was coming—but he’d play it smooth until the very end.

”happy? i’d say so, yeah. served me well enough. it’s kinda like you said—this whole place is full o’ history.” he looked around at the walls, and there was genuine love in his eyes. it felt like home, even if it was a front. 

he was always open to suggestions, though.

”why, you think i can do somethin’ more with it?”

MATIAS SILPH

☉

”well o’course. you’d be my guest. be rude as hell otherwise, would it not?”

his crooked smile flashed again. he tucked away his find into a deep pocket on his leg and picked back up the axe. swing—HADUNK!

”you worth a shit at billiards?”

DANNY HALL

☉

he’d been crouched in the dirt, digging a small hole with his bare hands when she’d strode on past. to be fair, from behind and at this level, his earthy attire probably did make him easily passible for some benign creature of the woodland.

when he turned to stand, he announced his presence with surprise.

”kath-rinn fairbern?” he regarded her, squinting. ”well goddamnit, look at that. it is you. i just keep runnin’ into celebrities, i swear...”

he looked around. boomer eyed the sableye cautiously.

”sheit, you jus’ stalkin’ the woods?”

Katherine Fairburne

☉

roach took a seat, ordered a whiskey, settled in. he chuckled again at her enthusiasm. ”happy t’ hear it.” his accent? ”yes ma'am, nimbasa-born.”

garlic knots arrived in front of them, perfectly aromatic against the other smells of the restaurant and the sea breeze. he reached in and grabbed one, taking a bite and humming approval, ”mm.”

his attention was still on her as he chewed, not yet falling to the menu. of course, he’d done his research. who wouldn’t have? this was no small project, no small wad of cash. his teeth flashed again, but he didn’t interrupt. she had the energy of someone who surely did well in a business like this. lively, personable, commanding her space. all he had to do was sit back, eat, and let her go. he was already sold on her company. if she made it through the lunch without somehow talking him in the other direction, she was golden.

what were his goals?

he picked up a napkin, dabbed his mouth before placing it back in his lap and clearing his throat lightly.

”different.” he paused for emphasis, shifting straighter in his chair again. ”i want to draw a new crowd. ritual’s got it’s charm, but it ain’t very lively. i want energy. sex appeal.”

he looked over, down the coastline, towards the space reserved for his new dream. ”you ever seen a picture of a nebula b’fore? that’s what i want it to look like when ye walk in the door. lights hangin’ down real low maybe, some kinda... visual eff-ex...” his hand came down through the air as if it might help his explanation. suddenly figuring he was starting out a bit abstract, he reigned it in and turned towards her again.

”three levels. bar, dancefloor, lounge. vip rooms. balconies. the works–'n i want one of them infinity pools on the rooftop.”

he looked up and thanked a server for his drink, taking a sip as he looked back to rita.

”ud'r'nat, you tell me what i want.”

Rita Garnet

☉

it wasn’t often that he got out to the main beach until recently. most of his time, as far as others knew, was spent indoors, making his perpetual sunburn a bit of a mystery. most people didn’t know about the secret traders cove.

he walked down the sidewalk, gaze cast at the various architecture curving around the coastline. it was a dream location for the kind of business venture he was embarking on. the luxurious modernity that club apogee would embody was a very different from the classic, relaxed sophistication of ritual in lower slateport.

he walked in. his smile at the host was bright in contrast to the shadow over his gaze beneath his hat. when he approached the table, he held out a hand to give a firm shake.

”yes ma’am. good to meetcha, miss garnet. you can call me roach.”

her enthusiasm was matched with a grin, dimpled on one side between his slightly overgrown scruff.

”glad yer lookin’ forward to it. yer portfolio’s impressive as hell—’n great choice for lunch. haven’t had krabby legs in a while.”

Rita Garnet

☉

”yes ma’am,” he confirmed with a nod and a smile. it was always good to have a new associate. the risks could be nerve-wracking until they were deemed trustworthy enough, but generally, all issues in the operation were quickly resolved one way or another.

she passed the test, and his smile hitched up at one corner. he chuckled.

”good answer. i respect discretion.”

he regarded her a moment. the eyepatch nearly hidden beneath her hair reminded him of someone. a woman he’d grown attached to, with whom he’d done similar business—among other things. she'd disappeared only weeks ago.

”how’s yer drink?”

maeve

☉